At the window of his new house, in a crowded suburb of Pune sits Aba Gawas. He looks out at the traffic and talks of his river Dabhil, more than 400 kms away from him. For years, Aba has fought hard to protect the river. He calls it Dabhil Mauli, a term of endearment reserved for mothers and deities. He is not keeping very well and longs to return to Dabhil Mauli. I realize with a sudden pang, rivers are home.
Continue reading “Dabhil Mauli: Stories and Struggles of a Small River in the Western Ghats”Tag: Tiger
Letter to the EAC: No justification for Adani Dams in the Western Ghats
28.11.24
To,
The Chairperson and Members,
Expert Appraisal Committee, River Valley Projects,
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
New Delhi
Subject: Submission against 1500 MW Warasgaon Warangi Pumped Storage Project by Adani Green Energy to be discussed in the 19th EAC meeting for TORs
Respected Sirs,
We see that Adani Green Energy’s 1500 MW Warasgaon-Warangi Pumped Storage Project is being considered for fresh TORs in the upcoming meeting of the EAC. We have gone through the documents uploaded by the proponent (AGEL) on MoEF CC’s Parivesh Website.[1]
Continue reading “Letter to the EAC: No justification for Adani Dams in the Western Ghats”
Controversial Road Project Threatens Bhopal’s Bhoj Wetlands, Forest & Wildlife
(Feature Image: Statue of great Parmar King Raja Bhoj in Upper lake in Bhopal. Bhim Singh Rawat/SANDRP, May 2023)
The Bhoj wetlands in Bhopal city is one of the oldest man-made lake in Asia. The waterbody is a fountainhead of environmental services and a designated Ramsar wetlands site. Despite this, the wetlands eco-system has been facing gradual degradation on account of growing encroachments, pollution[i] and extravagant tourist projects. Amid this, a new road project cutting through the catchment area of Bhoj wetlands and forest land around Bhopal city has raised alarm bells among concerned citizens who term its unnecessary and suggest better options as win-win solution.
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DRP NB 18 Oct 2021: IRW 2021 to start on Nov 8 with theme on Riverine Fisheries
IRW (India Rivers Week) is excited to announce details of annual event for 2021. The unique annual event, the only one with focus on India’s Rivers continues as a virtual dialogue this year, with the theme: “Healthy Rivers, Fish and Fishers”. It will include series of five webinars, with theme as given in the poster above.
To join, please register at: http://indiariversforum.org/IRW2021
Continue reading “DRP NB 18 Oct 2021: IRW 2021 to start on Nov 8 with theme on Riverine Fisheries”
Letter to MoEF Expert Appraisal Committee: Reject Ken Betwa Proposal
August 21, 2015
To:
Chairman and Members,
Expert Appraisal Committee on River Valley Projects,
Union Ministry of Environment and Forests,
New Delhi
Subject: Concerns about Ken Betwa River Link Proposal
Respected Chairman and Members,
The agenda for the Aug 24-25, 2015 meeting of EAC includes the proposal to consider Environment Clearance for the Ken Betwa River Link Project in Madhya Pradesh. In that context, we would like to raise following concerns: Continue reading “Letter to MoEF Expert Appraisal Committee: Reject Ken Betwa Proposal”
Pranahita-Chevella Project: Gargantuan Project with Gargantuan Violations
Can you imagine a project-not any project, perhaps India’s largest irrigation project till date- going on for years without most statutory clearances? Can you imagine a project on which Rs 7000 Crores[1] have been spent already but its Dam height (FRL – Full Reservoir Level) is yet undecided? Can you imagine a project whose canal works are ongoing in full swing, without having any idea of the submergence? Can you imagine a Public Hearing where the Project Engineer says that the meeting is only about compensation not about environmental impacts or fundamental questions? Can you imagine a state which is set to lose thousands of hectares of rich forests, protected areas, villages for a project of a different state, but is happy to oblige? Can you imagine a Ministry which turns a stony Nelson’s Eye to a project continuing right under its nose without Environmental Clearance, Wildlife Clearance or Forest Clearance?
Continue reading “Pranahita-Chevella Project: Gargantuan Project with Gargantuan Violations”
SANDRP 